Contents
List of Maps ix
What’s New in Canada 1
The Best of Canada 6
1
1 The Best Travel Experiences . . . . .6
2 The Best Family Vacations . . . .7
3 The Best Nature & Wildlife Viewing . . . .7
4 The Best Views . . . .8
5 The Most Dramatic Drives . . . .9
6 The Best Walks & Rambles . . . . .10
7 The Best Biking Routes . . . .11
8 The Best Culinary Experiences . .12 9 The Best Festivals & Special Events . . . .13
10 The Best Luxury Hotels & Resorts . . . .14
11 The Best Bed & Breakfasts . . . . .16
12 The Best Camping & Wilderness Lodges . . . .17
Planning Your Trip to Canada 18 by Bill McRae 2 1 The Regions in Brief . . . .18
2 Visitor Information . . . .22
3 Entry Requirements & Customs . . . .23
4 Money . . . .25
5 When to Go . . . .28
6 Health & Safety . . . .30
7 Specialized Travel Resources . . . .31
8 Planning Your Trip Online . . . .34
Frommers.com: The Complete Travel Resource . . . .35
Online Traveler’s Toolbox . . . .36
9 Getting There . . . .37
10 Packages for the Independent Traveler . . . .41
11 Escorted General-Interest Tours . . . .42
12 The Outdoor Adventure Planner . . . .44
13 Getting Around . . . .47
14 Tips on Accommodations . . . .48
15 Tips on Dining . . . .51
16 Suggested Itineraries . . . .51
17 Recommended Books & Films . . . .54
Fast Facts: Canada . . . .56
Nova Scotia 62 by Paul Karr 3 1 Exploring the Province . . . .62
2 Wolfville: Introduction to the Annapolis Valley . . . .66
3 Annapolis Royal: Nova Scotia’s Most Historic Town . . . .69
4 Kejimkujik National Park . . . .72
5 From Digby to Yarmouth: A Taste of the Other Nova Scotia . . . .74
Whale-Watching at Digby Neck . . . .75
6 The South Shore: Quintessential Nova Scotia . . . .79
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The Dauntless Bluenose . . . .84 7 Halifax: More Than a Natural
Harbor . . . .90 A Side Trip to Peggy’s Cove . . . .97 8 The Eastern Shore: Rugged
Coastline from Halifax to Cape Breton Island . . . .102
9 Cape Breton Island . . . .104 10 Cape Breton Highlands National
Park . . . .114 A Scenic Drive . . . .116
New Brunswick 117
by Paul Karr 4
1 Exploring the Province . . . .117 2 Around Passamaquoddy Bay:
Campobello Island & More . . . .121 3 Grand Manan Island . . . .127 4 Saint John: New Brunswick’s
Largest City . . . .130 5 Fredericton . . . .136 6 Fundy National Park: Exploring
the Wild Coast . . . .142
Seeking Adventure on Cape Enrage . . . .144 7 Moncton: A Rival to
Saint John . . . .145 8 Kouchibouguac National
Park . . . .148 9 The Acadian Peninsula . . . .150
Prince Edward Island 153
by Paul Karr 5
1 Exploring the Island . . . .153 2 Queens County: The Land
of Anne . . . .156 The Birth of Anne Shirley . . . . .157 A PEI Tradition: The Lobster Supper . . . .161 3 Prince Edward Island National
Park . . . .162
4 Charlottetown . . . .164 5 Kings County: An Escape
from Anne’s Land . . . .170 6 Prince County: PEI in the
Rough . . . .173
Newfoundland & Labrador 177
by Paul Karr 6
1 Exploring Newfoundland
& Labrador . . . .177 2 Western Newfoundland: Your
Introduction to The Rock . . . . .181 3 Gros Morne National Park:
One of Canada’s Treasures . . . .184 Journey to the Center of the Earth . . . .187 4 The Great Northern Peninsula:
Way Off the Beaten Path . . . . .189
5 Terra Nova National Park . . . . .191 6 The Bonavista Peninsula: Into
Newfoundland’s Past . . . .193 7 St. John’s: Bright Lights,
Big City . . . .197 8 The Southern Avalon
Peninsula . . . .205 9 The Labrador Coast: Wilderness
Adventure & More . . . .208
C O N T E N T S iv
1 Essentials . . . .214
Neighborhoods in Brief . . . .216
2 Getting Around . . . .220
Fast Facts: Montréal . . . .224
3 Where to Stay . . . .226
4 Where to Dine . . . .233
5 Seeing the Sights . . . .242
6 Special Events & Festivals . . . . .253
7 Outdoor Activities & Spectator Sports . . . .253
8 Shopping . . . .256
9 Montréal After Dark . . . .259
Québec City & the Gaspé Peninsula 271 by Herbert Bailey Livesey 8 1 Essentials . . . .274
The Neighborhoods in Brief . . .275
2 Getting Around . . . .276
Fast Facts: Québec City . . . .277
3 Where to Stay . . . .279
4 Where to Dine . . . .285
5 Seeing the Sights . . . .290
6 Special Events & Festivals . . . . .297
7 Outdoor Activities & Spectator Sports . . . .298
8 Shopping . . . .299
9 Québec City After Dark . . . .301
10 Day Trips from Québec City: Ile d’Orléans & More . . . .305
11 The Gaspé Peninsula . . . .317
Ottawa & Eastern Ontario 323 by Herbert Bailey Livesey 9 Montréal 211 by Herbert Bailey Livesey 7 1 Essentials . . . .324
Fast Facts: Ottawa . . . .327
2 Where to Stay . . . .328
3 Where to Dine . . . .333
Pubbing It Outside Ottawa . . . .336
4 Seeing the Sights . . . .340
A Scenic Drive . . . .345
5 Special Events & Festivals . . . . .348
6 Outdoor Activities & Spectator Sports . . . .349
Ottawa’s Pride: The Rideau Canal . . . .351
7 Ottawa After Dark . . . .352
8 Exploring Eastern Ontario: Kingston & More . . . .356
Along the St. Lawrence: The Thousand Islands . . . .358
Toronto 365 by Hilary Davidson 10 1 Essentials . . . .365
2 Getting Around . . . .370
Fast Facts: Toronto . . . .373
3 Where to Stay . . . .374
4 Where to Dine . . . .385
5 Seeing the Sights . . . .393 v C O N T E N T S
6 Special Events & Festivals . . . . .404
7 Outdoor Activities & Spectator Sports . . . .406
8 Shopping . . . .409
9 Toronto After Dark . . . .412
Landmark Theaters . . . .415
Southwestern Ontario 419 by Hilary Davidson 11 1 Exploring the Region . . . .419
The Real Uncle Tom’s Cabin . . .422
2 Niagara-on-the-Lake & Niagara Falls . . . .423
Touring Niagara-on-the-Lake Wineries . . . .426
A Family Adventure . . . .432
Niagara Parkway Commission Restaurants . . . .434
3 Hamilton . . . .434
4 London: A Great Stop for Families . . . .437
5 Goderich & Bayfield . . . .441
6 Stratford & the Stratford Festival . . . .442
The Play’s the Thing . . . .444
7 Elora & Fergus: The Elora Gorge & More . . . .448
North to Ontario’s Lakelands & Beyond 451 by Hilary Davidson 12 1 Exploring the Region . . . .451
2 From Collingwood/Blue Mountain to Tobermory/Bruce Peninsula National Park . . . .455
3 Manitoulin Island: A Spiritual Escape . . . .457
4 Along Georgian Bay: Midland & Parry Sound . . . .460
The Tragic Tale of Sainte Marie Among the Hurons . . . .460
5 The Muskoka Lakes: A Land of Resorts . . . .463
Rest, Relax, Recharge . . . .469
6 Algonquin Provincial Park: Canoeing, Fishing & More . . . .470
7 Some Northern Ontario Highlights: Driving along Highways 11 & 17 . . . .472
C O N T E N T S vi 1 Exploring the Provinces . . . .485
Farm & Ranch Vacations on the Prairies . . . .488
2 Winnipeg: Capital of Manitoba . . . .490
Taste of France across the River: The Historic District of St. Boniface . . . .496
3 Whiteshell Provincial Park & Lake Winnipeg . . . .508
4 West along the Trans-Canada Highway to Spruce Woods Provincial Park & Brandon . . . .510
5 Riding Mountain National Park & Duck Mountain Provincial Park . . . .510
Manitoba & Saskatchewan 485
by Bill McRae 13
6 On to the Far North
& Churchill, the World’s
Polar Bear Capital . . . .512
7 Regina: Capital of Saskatchewan . . . .514
The Trial of Louis Riel . . . .517
8 Saskatchewan Highlights along the Trans-Canada Highway . . . .522
9 Saskatoon: The Progressive City on the Plains . . . .524
10 Prince Albert National Park: A Jewel of the National Park System . . . .532
Alberta & the Rockies 534 by Bill McRae 14 1 Exploring the Province . . . .534
Getting a Taste of the Old West at a Guest Ranch . . . .537
2 Calgary: Home of the Annual Stampede . . . .538
Fast Facts: Calgary . . . .542
3 Southern Alberta Highlights . . .557
4 Waterton Lakes National Park . . . .560
5 Introducing the Canadian Rockies . . . .561
6 Kananaskis Country & Canmore . . . .566
7 Banff National Park: Canada’s Top Tourist Draw . . . .572
8 Jasper National Park: Canada’s Largest Mountain Park . . . .593
9 Edmonton: Capital of Alberta . . . .606
Fast Facts: Edmonton . . . .608
Edmonton’s Klondike Days . . . .610
Vancouver 622 by Shawn Blore 15 1 Essentials . . . .622
Neighborhoods in Brief . . . .631
2 Getting Around . . . .633
Fast Facts: Vancouver . . . .636
3 Where to Stay . . . .638
4 Where to Dine . . . .647
5 Exploring Vancouver . . . .656
6 Shopping . . . .669
7 Vancouver After Dark . . . .671
vii C O N T E N T S 1 Exploring the Province . . . .674
Three Trips of a Lifetime . . . . .680
2 Victoria: Victorian England Meets Canadian Wilderness . . .683
Fast Facts: Victoria . . . .687
3 A Side Trip from Victoria: Goldstream Provincial Park . . . .709
4 Vancouver Island’s West Coast: Pacific Rim National Park, Tofino & Ucluelet . . . .711
Walking the Wild Side: A Glimpse of First Nations Life . . . .714
5 Vancouver Island’s East Coast: Parksville to Campbell River & Quadra Island . . . .719
Victoria & British Columbia 674
by Shawn Blore & Bill McRae 16
6 The Inside Passage: Prince Rupert & the Queen Charlotte Islands . . . .725 7 Cariboo Country to Prince
George . . . .731
8 Whistler: One of North America’s Premier Ski Resorts . . . .738 9 The Okanagan Valley: A Taste
of the Grape . . . .748
The Yukon & the Northwest Territories 755 by Bill McRae
17
1 Exploring the North . . . .756 2 The Alaska Highway: On to
the Last Frontier . . . .762 3 Whitehorse: Capital of the
Yukon . . . .764 4 Kluane National Park . . . .771 5 The Chilkoot Trail & White
Pass . . . .772
6 Dawson City: An Authentic Gold-Rush Town . . . .774 7 The Top of the World
Highway . . . .781 8 North on the Dempster
Highway . . . .781 9 Yellowknife: Capital of the
Northwest Territories . . . .781 10 Nahanni National Park . . . .789
Appendix: Canada in Depth 790
by Bill McRae
1 History 101 . . . .790 Dateline . . . .790 2 The Fall of Québec . . . .792 3 A Confederation of Provinces . .792
4 Toward World Power . . . .795 5 Onward Into the 21st Century:
The Creation of Nunavut
& More . . . .797
C O N T E N T S viii
Index 799